Electrical switch



June 16, 1925.

' L. J. VOORHEES ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed May 27, 1921 2 Shets-Sheet l n" l f MUM/WOZ:

June 16, 1925. 1,541,877 L-. J. -voORHEEs ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed May 2.7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 spring,

i ductor strip,

Patented June 16,

a f UNITED :STATES PATENT oFFicE- Ln: ,1. voonnims, or memoir. maw Yoan, estanca To ie'a'i'roium omonconm, nrc., a conrona'non' or nw Yonx.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Application lled ley 87, 1921-. 'Serial lo. 473.216.A

' To all it mayconccm:

Be it known that I, LEE J. Voonnnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches, of whichthe following'is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical switches and has particular reference to an improved switch adapted, when in one position, to 4be manually depressed into circuit c losing relation against the tension of a and, when i'n certain other positions, is mechanically held either.. to provide a continuous closure for the circuit' or securely out of circuit closing relation. A Switchesy of he kind described are especially, useful in flashlight. construction, and the invention will be described in connection withthis zform lof application. It is to be noted, however, that the improved switch. may be used in various other electrical devices requiring a simple intermittent circuit closing means, together with provision forcontinuous o eration and security against accidental c osing Vof the circuit.

An object of the resent invention is to provide an improve and simplified threeposition switch having the capability pf operation 'described This object is attained, in general, by arranging aconductor strip adjacent the ath of a slidable spring pressed contact. e contact is ada ted to .coo erate with a support, by whic it is hel in permanent engagement with the conand also to be received behind a stop or locking member, out of contact with the strip. When positioned intermediate the support and'tlie'stop, the contact is free to be depressed intov engagement with the strip, and to be raised .automaticallyto initial position, by .its spring, when the ldownward pressure is removed.

to secure a better and A further ob'ect is more durable e ectrical connection between the contact and the conductor strip, by forming the latter so as to present a resilient surface for engagement by the contact when in certain adjusted sitions.

The invention wi.lA be described more fully in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferredy embodiment, and in 'whiclifw Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flashlight provided with the im roved switch;

Fig. 2 is a.y vertica longitudinal section on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fi 3.and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2, .but owing the switch in continuously operating and non-operating positions, respectively;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on `i line V--V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the-'sliding plate member;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the base f plate; and v Fig. 8 is an isometric view of the contact carrying Qplate.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a flashlight casing-having a portion 'cut away. 'Above the 'o ening so formed is located an escutclieon p ate 2, secured to the casing by rivets 3. The plate 2 has a central elevated portion 4, forming a seat for a slide, indicated generally by lreference .numeral 5.' The slide comprises a tabular surface 6, ofl slightly greater breadth thanv the seat 4, and dependin lateral flanges 7 adapted to lit over the si es of the seat, for slidin movement therealong. A rim or bead 8 is struck up centrally from the slide; providing a cylindrical receptacle for a push button or thumb-piece which will be described later. Longitudinal slots 9 are cut through the top of seat 4. Shorterl slots A the slide is fitted u on the seat.

' The support and ocking means previously mentioned are provided on seat 4. VIts :surface is slit along two lines .parallel to and intermediate the slots 9, and the metal included between the slits is bent downward, forming a trough-sha d depression. The lat bottom portion o the depression rovides a supporting surface 11, ada ted to space a contactmember'from-the p ane of seat 4.` In a similar way, locking member 12 is formed by depressing the metal surface of the seat along lines at right angles to those of the first depression, and so placed as to aline the locking member with the sup rt.

ooperating with these members is a hol- `low push button 13 having a convex top and a circular cross sectiony corresponding -in extent to the area included within=rim 8.

l pass through the slots in slide 5, thus holding the 4push button against rotation in rim 8. When so assembled, the slide will be fitted on seat 4, the tongues 14 extending through slots 9, which are of suicient length to permit the requisite travel of the tongues to carry a circuit Vclosing member, now to be described, into its various adjusted positions. v

The circuit closing member consists of a plate 15, shown in plan in Fig. 8. The ends of the plate are indentedat 16, and the narrowed central portion has a depending and inwardly bent part, formin the contact 17 adapted to cooperate wit the support 11 and locking member 12, previously described. The plate is assembled with the other parts by placing the indentations 16 about tongues 14, projecting through coinciding slots 9 and l0, and turning over the ends of the tongues upon the plate, as shown in Fig. 5. In this manner, the push button, slide, and contact plate are clamped in slidable relation to seat 4.

A conductive member adapted to cooperate with the contact 17 is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and comprises a metal st rip 18 cut away to leave a resilient marginal portion forming a spring contact arm 19 adjacent the support 11, but not extendin g beneath the locking member 12. It

will be understood that the conductor strip 18 maybe secured to the inner face of the casing wall in any suitable way and that any desired arrangement may -be made for establishing an electrically conductive circuit between qne pole of the battery and the conductor strip, andthe other pole and the escutcheon plate. i

The various operative positions ol. the device are illustrated in Figs. 2, 8 and 4. vIn Fig. 2, the push button is shown placed for intermittently closing the circuit. The cut away portions of the button are of sufcient extent to leave the clearance 20, permitting depression to bring the contact 17 into engagement with spring arm 19. The air gap between contact and conductor is restored by spring 13 when the depressing force is removed.- In Fig. 3, the Contact has been depressed and moved along the inclined surface leading to support 1l, to rest upon the support, where it is Securely held by the resilient pressure of the Spring arm 19 and the spring 13. The Contact 17 is reversely bent, as shown, t0 facilitate its movement into engagement with the spring arm- 19. Fi illustrates the contact locked behind the stop 12. The push button is pressed downward so that the contact clears thevlower wall of stop '12, is moved backward and allowed to spring up behind the stop. This' forms an adequate protection against accidental closing of the circuit during shipment. or use, for depression of the button cannot bring the 'contact into engagement with the conductor strip which is cut away adjacent the stop, as shown. To return the button to operative position, it is necessary first to depress it and then move it forwardly; such combination of movements could hardly occur accidentally.

While the combination of switch and resilient conductor strip illustrated is particularly effective, it 1s evident that either may be used with a correlativa part of another form. For example, the spring arm conductor strip may be used with advantage in connection with that type of switch involving only a de ressible contact making member. The resihence of the arm makes it possible to secure positive contact at all times, .unaffected by wear to which the contact surfaces may be subjected.

It is desirable to have a sloping or cam surface leading to support 11, so that the contact may be simultaneously depressed and slid forwardly to rest upon the support. Evidently, however, if the support had an abrupt approach the contact could still be effectively laced upon, it. This, and various other c anges in form and relative ad- I justment of the parts, maybe made vwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch mechanism comprisin a contact arranged to be depressed an to be moved laterally, a spring member separate from the contact and adapted to support the same, means for depressing the contact when said contact is moved laterally, and a conductor arranged to be engaged by the contact when the latter is depressed.

l2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the means for depresslng the contact includes a cam.

3.The invention according to claim 1 in which additional means are provided for locking the contact out of circuit closing relation to a conductor when moved laterally to another point.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which additional means are provided for locking'the contact out of circuit closing relation to the conductor when moved laterally to another point, the contact being depressible manually at a'third lateral position.

5. A switch mechanism comprising a depressible-and laterally movable push button, a contact rigidly7 attached to said push button, and cam means. for depressing the push button when Sald push button is moved laterallv.

6. In a flashlight, an escutcheon plate provided with a seat, a slide adapted for reciprocating movement onsaid seat, a push button contact carried by said slide, a conductor strip and inwardly projecting means on the seat for permanently retaining the button contact either in or out of engagement with the strip.

7. Theinvention according to claim 6, in

' which a plane surface is provided between the inward projections and adapted to receive the contact portion of the button for intermittent manual operation. v

8. A switch mechanism comprising a relatively extended contactV member 4of elongated form and a relatively restricted,

contact member spaced therefrom, means for moving said restricted Contact over varlous regions of said extended contact and also beyond its operating surface, and a cam arranged to bring said contacts together when said restricted contact is moved to a position over a particular region of said extended contact. Y

- In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

LEE J. VOORHEES. 

